Geodesic-dome-like houses on Vernor

**baphomet** · June-18-09, 05:19 PM

Leo Gillis [[jack white's brother) and I built the two domes on vernor and st. anne. Leo and I are both initiates of the Argentum Astrum a lineage type order founded by Aliester Crowley in 1907. Leo is a buckminster fuller nut and I'm a Structural Ironworker, between the two of us with assorted scattered volunteers over a two year period built the domes on a shoestring budget as a home for leo and his family.
Now it gets strange: When we were digging the footing we found what we believed to be human femur bones, one was in tact and the other broken. At this point we should've stopped and called the authorities, however we knew that this would halt the building of the domes forever so for good or for bad we said a prayer and tossed the remains back into the hole and kept going.
While

**baphomet** · June-18-09, 05:21 PM

building the dome in the same area we found the bones, I fell twelve feet right on my back, a back injury that I still suffer from eleven years later.
Years

**baphomet** · June-18-09, 05:25 PM

later after leo's divorce, he rented the domes out. a female detroit cop wandered up on the porch and shot herself and died [[same spot i fell and where we found the bones. and recently the last renter was running a blind pig in the domes and there were two people killed in a shootout in the same spot where the other incidences happened. the domes are now abandoned and leo lives in the home that he and jack and their other siblings grew up in.

**Detroitej72** · June-18-09, 05:42 PM

Wow, interesting stories, bap.

Thanks for the info.

**Gannon** · June-18-09, 05:44 PM

So...you're sayin'...that everything is cool, as long as you stay out of that spot...and you have a fifty-fifty chance of being in some incident if you are in law enforcement. Fifty percent it will be YOU that bites it, fifty percent being the other guy.

Hm-m-m-mm-n-n, that might keep away superstitious law enforcers...this keeps sounding better and better!

WAIT! You said it was built by volunteers?!

**baphomet** · June-18-09, 05:46 PM

very depressing actually, leo and i were there last weekend and the place was trashed by theives. all that work, all that time. absorbed by the crackheads

**Gsgeorge** · June-18-09, 06:24 PM

welcome baphomet, and thanks for the amazing stories.

**RickBeall** · June-18-09, 07:02 PM

Thank you for the amazing stories. Maybe someone will still save your amazing domes.

**Ray1936** · June-18-09, 07:17 PM

Interesting. I've never noticed them before.

**baphomet** · June-18-09, 08:25 PM

yup, mostly Leo and I but there were a small handful of people that we could count on to lend a hand when the call came in.

**g-dub** · June-19-09, 03:10 PM

When I worked in real estate in Corktown we had the "dome home" listed. This was a few years ago, when the asking price was $200,000+. We got calls about it nearly every day. Showed it a few times, but I knew no one would buy it for that price. The lot is oversized, and could be a good location depending on what happens with MCS. The home itself is actually larger inside than you would think. The smaller dome is a garage [[probably the only circular garage I've ever seen), with what appeared to be a band practice space above it. There's a doorway up there so you can walk out onto the roof and into another doorway to the upstairs of the other dome. Pretty cool. A bummer to hear what's become of it. I would say it's a solid buy at $70K, regardless of MCS. The kit alone I think cost $40,000 originally. And to be that close to Slow's...

**cycledetroit** · June-19-09, 06:53 PM

From what I have heard, the domes have some pretty bad water damage from the skylights and the blood stain isn't helping much. Its a shame, I love those domes.

**baphomet** · June-20-09, 10:57 PM

a little water damage at the link btwn the two domes. the skylights are fine. the floor in the kitchen is italian marble that was salvaged from the train station by some crackheads that we bought for $2. a 2'x2' square. bloodstains are in the carpet in the aforementioned corner of the big dome. the big one has a 3/4 loft with 2400sq ft of living space and the smaller dome has a 2 1/2 car garage with a 1000sq ft loft above used as a recording studio. Leo is a bassist who plays with x d wei, among other projects. His younger brother Jack had a few siblings that had to have inspired his career. his brother ed i've been told makes him seem like novice with a six string. Leo also writes on number theory, aleister crowley, qabalistic theory among many other things.

**baphomet** · June-20-09, 10:59 PM

thirty grand would make it an unbelievable space.

**casscorridor** · June-21-09, 03:40 AM

Originally Posted by dexterferry

jack white's hippie brother built that dome and lived there for awhile.

yeahhh. my friend's bf is his nephew.

**Snoopy** · August-24-09, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by baphomet

Leo Gillis [[jack white's brother) and I built the two domes on vernor and st. anne. Leo and I are both initiates of the Argentum Astrum a lineage type order founded by Aliester Crowley in 1907. Leo is a buckminster fuller nut and I'm a Structural Ironworker, between the two of us with assorted scattered volunteers over a two year period built the domes on a shoestring budget as a home for leo and his family.
Now it gets strange: When we were digging the footing we found what we believed to be human femur bones, one was in tact and the other broken. At this point we should've stopped and called the authorities, however we knew that this would halt the building of the domes forever so for good or for bad we said a prayer and tossed the remains back into the hole and kept going.
While

So you find what you think to be human bones, and you continue building anyway?! Hmmmm . . .

**Snoopy** · August-24-09, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by baphomet

very depressing actually, leo and i were there last weekend and the place was trashed by theives. all that work, all that time. absorbed by the crackheads

Originally Posted by baphomet

a little water damage at the link btwn the two domes. the skylights are fine. the floor in the kitchen is italian marble that was salvaged from the train station by some crackheads that we bought for $2. a 2'x2' square. bloodstains are in the carpet in the aforementioned corner of the big dome. the big one has a 3/4 loft with 2400sq ft of living space and the smaller dome has a 2 1/2 car garage with a 1000sq ft loft above used as a recording studio. Leo is a bassist who plays with x d wei, among other projects. His younger brother Jack had a few siblings that had to have inspired his career. his brother ed i've been told makes him seem like novice with a six string. Leo also writes on number theory, aleister crowley, qabalistic theory among many other things.

So basically what you're saying is that crackheads are cool when they're trespassing, destroying and looting the contents of a beautiful historic building such as the train station in Detroit [[especially when they sell their looted goods to you at bargain basement prices) - they're not so cool, however, when they turn their attention to your friend's empty and abandoned property.

I find your actions and comments repulsive.

**RickBeall** · August-24-09, 05:23 PM

Well snoopy, I don't mean to insult anyone, but man, sometimes you gotta be a little flexible to build great things. The history of Detroit and the USA is filled with colorful characters most of whom you probably would not like.

So you would have done it different, more power to you.

**bumble** · August-24-09, 09:17 PM

Baphomet, I don't think your actions are repulsive. Plenty of people around town have all sorts of treasures and collections taken out of abandoned buildings. I would rather see those things in the hands of the living. I don't really think there is much hope for MCS restoration. Is it looting? Not in my opinion, though I know not everyone would agree and that's okay.

I find it odd that no one has torn out the blood stained carpet. Wouldn't it be better for a potential buyer to see a concrete floor and think "This place needs carpet" instead of seeing a giant blood stain and thinking "Someone was murdered in this room. Get me out of here!"??

I enjoyed your spooky dome lore, but I don't think you can expect a fruit basket from O'Connor realty anytime soon.

**RickBeall** · August-24-09, 11:04 PM

Yes, whoever owns it should get rid of that carpet.

If I was single, I would love to buy that place. I love the strange stories that go with it. Wife wouldn't think much of it though.

**Meddle** · August-25-09, 01:00 AM

Now why would somebody sign up here and make two such posts on a thread nearly 2 months old?

**Meddle** · August-25-09, 01:24 AM

A wider view from Google Earth.

If my brain is working at all, based on post 28, these were built in 1998 or so which would explain why I've never seen them. Last time I was through that section of town was probably in the late 80's.

**gazhekwe** · August-25-09, 06:12 AM

That knife and fork next to them makes them look like a table setting.

**Gannon** · August-25-09, 08:30 AM

Meddle,

Apparently someone has even MORE time on their hands than us.

These domes are OFF the market. They were taken back by the bank, and some deal is being worked out to get them into the hands of a worthy non-profit venture in the SW side.

Done deal. Case closed.

**izzyindetroit** · August-25-09, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Meddle,

Apparently someone has even MORE time on their hands than us.

These domes are OFF the market. They were taken back by the bank, and some deal is being worked out to get them into the hands of a worthy non-profit venture in the SW side.

Done deal. Case closed.

What do you mean?? I just saw this property for sale for $70,000 last week at O'Conner's Reality.